Live-in care for multiple sclerosis
Flexible one-to-one support at home that adapts to the good days, the harder days and the changes MS can bring over time.
Support that fits around life with MS
MS is different for everyone, and it can change from day to day. Live-in care gives you support that flexes with it, without handing over your independence.
Many people with multiple sclerosis want to keep living their own life, in their own home, on their own terms. Fatigue, weakness, balance problems or relapses can make that harder, especially if a partner or family member has been doing much of the caring.
A live-in carer is there day and night, so help is available when it is needed and not only at fixed visit times. On a good day that might mean very little. On a harder day it might mean help getting up, washing, dressing and pacing the day to manage fatigue.
We match carers on experience and personality, and the person with MS stays in charge of how their day runs. Live-in care is often chosen by younger adults as well as older people, and we take the time to find someone who fits.
How a live-in carer helps someone with MS
Managing fatigue
Helping to pace the day, taking on tiring jobs like cooking and housework, so energy is saved for what matters.
Moving safely
Support with walking, transfers and any equipment recommended by the occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
Personal care
Washing, dressing and continence care, given respectfully and only as much as is wanted.
Meals and drinks
Cooking healthy meals and keeping drinks topped up, including any texture advice if swallowing is affected.
Medication prompts
Reminders at the right times, so doses are not missed.
Getting out and about
Driving or accompanying to work, appointments, social plans and hobbies, if the carer is a driver.
What MS care at home looks like
- Morning
- Help getting up at your own pace, washing, dressing and breakfast.
- Daytime
- Work, appointments, exercise or time out, with rest built in to manage fatigue.
- Evening
- A home-cooked meal and help winding down for the night.
- Night
- The carer sleeps in the home, so help is there if it is needed.
The carer needs a private bedroom and takes a two-hour break each day. We arrange cover for breaks and holidays.
What a live-in carer can and can't do
Our live-in carers are experienced, trained and checked, but they are carers, not nurses. They provide practical and personal support, and work alongside the GP, district nurses and other professionals who look after the clinical side.
A live-in carer can help with
- Personal care and continence care
- Help with walking and transfers
- Cooking and housework
- Medication prompts
- Encouraging exercises from the physio
- Driving and accompanying (if a driver)
- Shopping and errands
- Company and support
A live-in carer doesn't
- Clinical or nursing tasks such as injections or catheter changes
- Changing medication doses
- Physiotherapy itself (they support the exercises you are given)
- Working through the night as well as the day
Alongside your MS team
Most people with MS are supported by a neurologist, an MS nurse and often a physiotherapist or occupational therapist. A live-in carer works alongside them, following their advice and noticing changes such as a possible relapse, so they can be raised quickly.
If your needs change, the care can change too. We review the arrangement with you regularly and will be honest if needs become more clinical than a live-in carer can safely support.
- MS Society: information, a helpline and local groups
- MS Trust: practical information for people with MS and their families
- NHS: multiple sclerosis: symptoms and treatment
How much does live-in MS care cost?
The exact cost depends on the support needed, including how often the carer is woken at night. We will give you a clear figure on the first call, with no obligation.
Help may be available from your local council, NHS Continuing Healthcare and Attendance Allowance. See the full cost breakdown → Ways to fund live-in care →
Live-in MS care across the South East
We arrange live-in MS care across Surrey, Kent, West Sussex and East Sussex. See the map of areas we cover →
Guides and related care
Multiple sclerosis care at home: your questions
Is live-in care suitable for younger adults with MS?
Yes. Live-in care is about support at home, whatever your age. Many younger adults with MS want to keep working, studying, parenting or socialising, and a live-in carer can make that possible by helping with personal care, mobility, fatigue and the home. We match carers on personality, interests and lifestyle as well as experience, so the carer fits around your life rather than the other way round.
Can the carer help during a relapse?
Yes. During a relapse, carers can step up practical support, such as more help with washing, dressing, moving around and meals, and then ease back as you recover, so you don't need a new arrangement each time. They'll encourage contact with your MS nurse or GP and keep a note of symptoms. Clinical treatment, such as steroids or disease-modifying therapies, stays with your health team.
Can a live-in carer help with a catheter?
Carers can help with everyday continence care, such as emptying a catheter bag, keeping the area clean and noticing signs of infection. Clinical tasks, such as changing or inserting a catheter, are carried out by a district or specialist nurse. If you use intermittent self-catheterisation, the carer can help with setting up and hygiene while you stay in control. They'll contact the nurse or GP promptly if anything looks wrong.
How much does live-in care for MS cost?
Live-in care for MS starts from £1,090 a week paid to the carer, plus our weekly agency fee of £250, and a one-off registration fee of £250. The household also provides the carer's food and a private room. The exact weekly rate depends on how much help is needed, especially at night, and we confirm it after a free assessment call, with no long contracts. Some people with MS qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare, council funding or Personal Independence Payment. Our cost page and cost calculator show how live-in care compares with a care home.
Does the carer need their own room?
Yes. A live-in carer needs a private bedroom with a bed, storage and ideally Wi-Fi, plus use of a bathroom and the kitchen. The household provides the carer's food or a small food allowance. Carers also take a daily break of around two hours, usually while your loved one rests or a family member is around, and we help you plan for it. When the carer has time off, we arrange a matched relief carer so care continues without a gap.
Can the carer help with fatigue and getting out?
Yes. MS fatigue can make ordinary days exhausting, so a live-in carer takes on tiring tasks such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, leaving your energy for the things that matter to you. They can help you plan activity and rest, keep cool on hot days if heat affects your symptoms, and come with you to work, appointments or social events. A carer who drives can make getting out much easier.
Are you regulated by the CQC?
Medicare People currently provides introductory live-in care services. We have submitted our application to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and intend to introduce a fully managed live-in care service following registration. As an introductory agency, we find, check and introduce self-employed live-in carers, and the family agrees the day-to-day care with the carer directly. Before any introduction we carry out right-to-work, DBS and reference checks and interview every carer. Our team stays in touch after the carer starts, arranges relief cover for breaks and holidays, and finds a replacement carer if the match isn't working.
Talk to us about MS care at home
Free, no-obligation advice. Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.
Not sure yet? Take our 2-minute check →
Medicare People currently provides introductory live-in care services. We have submitted our application to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and intend to introduce a fully managed live-in care service following registration.